Shaving utensil



A. HOFFMANN.

SHAVENG UTENSIL.

APPLSCATION FILED 0cT.29. 1920.

l gf fi, 1G3 Y Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

v INVENTOR fl/exanc/er l e/70720 ATTORNEY UNITED SiTATES ALEXANDER HOFFMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y-.

SI-IAVING- UTENSIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application filed October 29, 1920. Serial No. 420,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Horr- MANN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaving Utensils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shaving utensils, and a principal object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary device of this character, embodying a cup for holding the soap and lather, and a top or cap closure for the cup having a hollow axial stem in which is arranged an adjustable handle or instrumentality for carrying the lather applying means.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character specified, wherein the lather applying means, which may consist of inexpensive material such, for instance, as a portion of cotton or sponge, may be readily attached to and removed from the handle, so that, for sanitary reasons, afresh portion of lather applying material may be used for each shave.

The distinguishing features of my invention and the improved structural elements characterizing its practical embodiment, will be more particularly explained in the specific description following, and pointed out in the annexed claims.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device, the interior parts being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the top closure and its parts, which are here shown as separated and with portions broken away, but in proper relative position,

In carrying out my invention, I provide a cup 4; of circular form, for holding the shaving soap and lather. At its top end, this cup is provided with an interior screwthreaded region 5, with which cooperates the screw-threaded region 6 formed exteriorly on the disk-shaped top closure or cap 7 a portion 8 of whose circumference serves as afiange to engage over the top edge 9 of the cup and is designed to come flush with the outersurface of the cup.

Made integral with the top closure 7 is a hollow axial stem 10, projecting upwardly from the top for a considerable distance and downwardly therefrom for a slight distance, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Loosely fitting within the stem and having substantially the same length is a screw or turning element 11, forming part of the handle, and having its upper portion reduced and screwthreaded at 12 to cooperate with the threaded interior 13 of a finger knob or piece 14, which completes the handle. Said knob 14: in order operatively to maintain the parts in position, is made with an axial extension 15 which has turning fit within the stem 10, and also with a shoulder 16, designed to turn on the top end 17 of said stem, 7

To the screw element 11, below a shoulder 18, are secured in equi-spaced positions, by means of screws 19 or otherwise, the top ends of three spring fingers 20, which extend downwardly and for a distance below the lower end of the screw element 11, terminating in enlarged or bulbous gripping portions 21. In order that these spring fingers may tend normally to spread apart at their bulbous ends, the screw element 11 approximately midway between the securing screws 19 and its lower end, is formed with a slight outward inclination or shoulder 22. Under this arrangement, when the knob 14 is turned in one direction, the screw element 11 is retracted, the downwardly projecting portion of the stem 10 serving as means for bringing the spring fingers toward each other so that the bulbous ends will bite into and firmly bind the lather applying material placed therebetween; and when the knob is turned in the opposite direction, the screw element will be advanced, permitting the spring fingers to spread so that the lather applying material may be readily removed.

The lather applying means, designated by the numeral 23, may consist of any suitable inexpensive material, such for instance, as a bunch of cotton, a piece of sponge, or other suitable material, capable of being firmly gripped by the spring fingers. In employing this outfit, it is contemplated that, after each shave, the lather applying material will be removed and either discarded entirely or thoroughly sterilized, thereby preventing the danger of carrying disease.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination with a circular shaving cup having a threaded region at its top end, of a top closure threaded to cooperate therewith and formed with a hollow axial stem, a screw-element loosely disposed with in said stem and provided with an outwardly inclined region, means cooperating with said screw-element for advancing and retracting it, and spring-fingers secured to said screw-element and extending over said inclination thereon and below the lower ends of said screw-element and said stem and terminating in gripping portions, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a circular shaving cup having a threaded region at its top end, of a top closure threaded to cooperate therewith and formed with a hollow axial stem, a turning element loosely disposed within said stem 01" substantially the same length thereof and provided with an outwardly inclined region, a plurality of spring fingers secured at their top ends in equispaced position to said turning element and extending over said inclination and a distance below the lower ends of said stem and said turning element, means formed on the exposed ends of said springs to press into lather applying material, and'means for advancing and retracting said turning element.

3. In a shaving cup, the combination with a top closure provided with a hollow axial stem projecting both above and below, a screw-element turnably disposed therein and I providedwith a threaded region at its top therein and provided with a threaded region at its top end and an outwardly inclined region therebelow, a plurality ofspring fingers secured to said screw-element and 'ex tending downwardly over said i inclination and a distance below the lower ends of said stem and said screw-element, gripping devices formed on the exposed ends of said springs, a finger knob coiiperating with the threaded top end of said screw-element whereby to retract and advance the same, and lather applying material held between said gripping devices.

In testimony whereof I have signed my named to this specification.

ALEXANDER HOFFMANNI 

